Changes in Character
by harry potter is my muse
Summary: ONESHOT. (Marlene and Lily POV) Basically, Marlene talks to Lily about a certain messy haired Quidditch Captain and Head Boy. Will Lily change her opinion, or remain as stubborn as ever? Rated T for language. R


**A/N: Mkay so this is just something that randomly came to me. A daydream, really. I do that a lot. I figured this one might make a good story so I figured I would write it down and maybe post it (I'm writing this note before I even started it, hence why it is at the top). To anyone who is still reading this Author's Note, congratulations, you know the story behind the story.**

DISCLAIMER: Somehow I doubt JK Rowling has a fanfiction account. But if she does, it is not this one. Mkay? So I own nothing, except… well… the story… But you know. What does that count for anyway?

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(Marlene POV)

My name is Marlene McKinnon, I am a seventh year Gryffindor at Hogwarts, and I am currently shouting at my best friend. Said best friend is the one and only Lily Evans, Head Girl and Charms Extraordinaire.

The reason I am yelling at her is James Potter. James _bloody_ Potter and his cronies. All together: the infamous Marauders. James, the insufferable git, has been infatuated with the lovely Lily Evans since first year. It's quite funny at times, for the general Hogwarts student population. For friends of James and Lily, it's a massive headache. If you just so happen to be friends with both (Remus and I for example), so help you God.

James's constant whinging over "Lily being this" and "Lily will never love me" gets old real fast. Something equally as bad is Lily's complaining. "Potter did this" and "Potter always does that". It gets pretty redundant.

They are both utterly, hopelessly, and madly in love with each other, one a bit more obviously than the other. Here is where our lovely conversation comes in.

You see, little Miss Lilykins is in denial. No, not _The Nile_. _De_nial, one word. Long story short: James loves Lily. Lily loves James. James knows his feelings, Lily not so much.

Lily and I are in a deserted corridor, on a Saturday. It is nearly dinnertime, but we were just heading back from the library to the common room to put our books down. I casually brought up a conversation we have had many times before: her fancying the pants off James.

I'm not sure why, but this time she really seemed to blow her top. She started yelling about "bad friends", "bloody wankers" and "arrogant toerags". After hearing enough of everything she had told me a million times before, I went off at her too.

"LILY I-DON'T-KNOW-YOUR-MIDDLE-NAME EVANS. You listen to me, and you listen well. No interruptions, whatsoever. Good? Good. You may think you know James Potter. You may think you know that he is an arrogant git of a man. You don't _know_ him. You've never given him a chance. You just assume through what you see. Hasn't anyone ever told you 'Don't judge a book by its cover'? You assume that James is like that all the time. But honestly, he is only like that around you. 'Why?', you may ask. It's because he fancies you, Lily, really and truly. He just wants you to notice him. He sought recognition the only way he knew how – trying to get a rise out of you. Don't you see? And last year he grew up, he changed. FOR YOU. And you just kept shooting him down and then rubbing dirt in the wounds, Lily. I know it sounds harsh. And you know I love you to little bits and pieces, but it's the truth. Lils, I can see the way you look at him now. I don't think even _you_ realize it. You like him, Lily, and don't you dare deny it. And don't you go telling me about how much of a wanker he is. I know he used to be, and I've heard all of this from you before. But Lily, please just give him a chance? And if you have a rotten time of it and really and truly hate him, then put an end to it. If you enjoy it, then that's smashing, and you can live happily ever after with messy-haired, green-eyed babies. What is there to lose? Lily just say yes, just once and see how it goes. I am asking this as your best friend, the amazing relationship advisor that I am. Please, Lily."

I paused. I took a deep breath and looked at her expectantly. I could see that she had a few tears I her eyes, but I was determined. I would not back down. Lily would see reason, she had to.

Lily blinked a few times, and wiped her eyes a bit. She shuffled her feet and looked down at the floor. "Marlene, I'm sorry. I- I guess you're right. I want to believe that he is still how he was because I'm scared. Okay, there, I said it. I, Lily You-Will-Never-Know-My-Middle-Name Evans, am scared."

She took a deep breath and said one more word. "Okay."

I knew what she meant in an instant. I grinned widely and pulled her into a hug. "Thanks Lils."

I pulled back and held her at arm's length, still grinning. "Now, how about some dinner, yeah?"

We walked side-by-side down the corridor for a few paces, until I was suddenly grabbed by an invisible hand. I had a sneaking suspicion of who it was.

I devised an ingenious way to talk to my invisible captor without worrying Lilykins. "I HAVE TO GO TO THE LOO."

I heard a stifled laugh coming from the air next to me, but I ignored it.

"I'll meet you down there, Lily?" She agreed and walked off.

Once she was out of sight, I whipped the Invisibility Cloak off none other than James Potter's head. He was grinning. "Fancy meeting you here, Marlene."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cut the crap, James, what do you want?"

He sobered up pretty quickly. "I- uh… I heard what you said back there. About me, to Lily… And I just wanted to say thank you."

"Don't mention it, Potter." I started to walk back to the common room. "I'm going to _put my books back now_. Poor Lily will just have to sit _all alone_ for just a few minutes longer. Well, bye James."

I hoped he caught the hint. That man is denser than the Sun, and that's saying something.

(Lily POV)  
I thought about everything Marlene had said in that corridor while I was walking to the Great Hall. She had very valid points. Part of me wanted to be stubborn and cling to my old opinions of him. But the other part was saying just what it had been for a while now: Marlene is right, James has changed. She was wrong about me not noticing. I just didn't want to admit it to myself because I was scared.

But now… Now I'm not as scared. I'm nervous as hell, sure, but scared, not so much. I finally reached the Great Hall. I absentmindedly searched for an empty spot, and found one near the end of the Gryffindor table. I walked over and sat down. I took some food and ate a bit, but I was too deep in thought to eat too much.

I was so entranced in my own thoughts that it took me a few seconds to notice that none other than James Potter sat down across from me. He smiled a little nervously. I smiled back, which seemed to calm him. He must have thought I would get mad at him for sitting there or something.

"Hey, Lily. Have a good day?"

We talked for a long while. I hadn't even noticed until later that Marlene hadn't come to sit with me. I found I didn't really mind. After dinner, James and I talked all the way back to the common room. I told him that I was pretty exhausted and that I thought I would turn in early today.

I started walking up the stairs when he called to me to wait for a minute. I paused, and turned. He walked up to me. I asked, "Yes?" He ran his hand through his hair nervously, causing me to smile slightly.

"Lily, I know you think I am an arrogant git, but I've changed, really. I do fancy you, and I swear I'm not just in it for the chase, as you have accused fairly often. Lily, what I'm trying to say is… Will you please go with me to Hogsmeade next weekend?"

He looked at me expectantly, with those warm hazel eyes. It took me but a second to reply. "Yes."

We both grinned. He kissed me, earning cheers from around the common room, the loudest from the other Marauders and Marlene.

He pulled back, and as I looked into his eyes again, I decided I wasn't _too_ exhausted…

Marlene, the wanker. I really have to remember to thank her some time. I thought, '_Later. Right now, I'm busy.'_ I took James's tie in my hand and brought his head down to meet mine once again…

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**A/N: Okay so I changed this around a bit a few times as I was writing. I'm not too proud of how it ended up, if I'm being honest, but I'm not taking it down. I don't have a beta reader so I edit it myself.  
**

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